Predator vs Kraven the Hunter
by Rhuen
Summary: Kraven is a proud superhuman with the vocation of a tracker and often times assassin. During a rather routine job at an African preserve, tracking an informant who has turned on the rangers, joining the poachers; something horrific has occurred. Kraven and the rangers find the poachers dead, butchered; something else is out there on the hunt.


The man known as Kraven the Hunter stands upon the savannah, the hot wind blowing through the mane like fur of his ceremonial hunting garb, an outlandish garb if it were not for the fact this a world where people of any skill or ability regularly dress in all manner of strange and colorful attire.

"What manner of man does this," says Kraven in his thick accent, speaking to no one particular; for before him is a scene most grisly.

A large group of men hang upside, dead, and skinned, from the tree before him. Several African park rangers with him examine a nearby jeep, throwing a blanket off the jeep revealing a pair of elephant tusks, some hides, and other assorted bones and horns.

"Poachers," says the man in his thick African accent, "no doubt they were ambushed by rival poachers."

Kraven squats down examining the ground, "then why didn't they take the goods in the jeep,"

He picks up some shell casing and looks around, his expression almost worried, he gestured around the area, "these men were panicked…shooting and running in all directions."

"A scare tactic then," says the ranger.

"There are no other tire tracks besides ours and this jeep here," says Kraven, "whoever did this tracked these men on foot and took them right here; leaving their bodies hanging where they were killed"

"….no stop you fools!" Kraven's words are too late as the rangers cut down the skinned bodies.

"Poachers or not," says the ranger, "these were still men, they shouldn't be left hanging from the trees for the animals to eat, whatever psycho did this we will pay you even more to hunt them down as well."

"Very good," says Kraven standing, "as I already tracked your snitch working for the poachers,"

"What?" asks the ranger.

Kraven points his hunting knife at one of the corpses and *sniffs* the air, "that one there is your quarry."

"Mutant or no," says Kraven, "he died as easily as the rest of these men, whoever did this knew what they were doing…and they left no human scent…something else is in the air I have never smelled before…yes I will hunt this one. They stole my prey."

Kraven's words are heard, and his heat signature is viewed from a distance way, hidden among the tall grasses; special attention given to the bodies being hauled into the jeep.

"Wont the trail go cold," asks the ranger as Kraven rides with them, the goods and bodies being taken with them in the second jeep, "I thought you would want to stay behind."

Kraven sits, arms crossed high on the back of the jeep, eyes closed, focused on every sound. He mutters in a calm tone, "The quarry will come to us…"

He opens his eyes, "for we stole its prizes."

Kraven leaps from the jeep just as the engine dies brandishing his hunting knife; the rangers jump out with their assault rifles.

"What happened?" commands the leader of the rangers.

One man looks under the jeep, but finds nothing.

"Look here," says Kraven pointing at a hole in the grill of both of the jeeps the rangers were in.

"A sniper?" asks the commander, "where from? You men look ahead, down the road."

"No," says Kraven, "that is what he wants,"

"I know my job," says the commander, "you do yours, find this lunatic and kill him with your freak powers."

"He is nearby," says Kraven as he turns, "I can…"

Kraven stops, and stares in bewilderment.

"What…my God," says the commander seeing what Kraven sees, the bodies, all seven bodies have been taken.

"Spread out," yells the commander, "he's here!"

They form a circle around the jeep.

"No," says Kraven, "this is just like those men…it is a trap."

Kraven yells to the wind, "I am not your prey! I am Kraven the Hunter!"

He rushes off into the brush following the blood scent of the bodies. The bodies were indeed not far off, just a short ways off the trail, yet in this short time the mystery assailant has also decapitated them.

Gun fire erupts back at the jeeps, "No!" yells Kraven.

He emerges from the brush just in time to see an easily seven foot tall woman with skin patterned like a jaguar wearing leather straps and loin cloth, yet a very high tech looking mask and gauntlets on her forearms and shins, holding the commander in the air on the end of her spear.

Kraven flips around his hunting knife, "So…I was right, your scent isn't human."

The large predatory woman drops the dead commander, practically tossing him off her spear.

Kraven *sniffs* the air, "Not a mutant, mutate, inhuman, super-human, or…"

He *sniffs* again, "or any alien I have met,"

He circles around the jeep, the giant woman watches him and utters a single word, a single word in a voice both feminine yet akin to the growl of a cat, "Challenge?" as she taps her spear like staff on the ground twice. Her staff is stuck in the ground as she removes several tubes from her mask and drops it to the ground revealing her golden hued face its imposing mandibles; her dreadlocks coming from the back and sides of her crest like head; her eyes a shimmering green watching Kraven. She *roars*, Kraven does not back down, instead he *screams* back and charges the alien she-beast.

The Predator's agility is astounding, as is its strength, Kraven is lucky to avoid the slashes of the large alien's spear as he ducks and weaves. There are no real openings to attack, that is until the Amazonian alien jabs her spear into the engine block of one of the jeeps. Kraven had leapt back onto the jeep makes a play for the she-beast's throat; however she is quick to simply let go of her spear and grab Kraven; using her strength and his momentum to send him tumbling. He rolls across the ground, gaining his feet in time to see the Predator easily pull her spear out from deep in the engine block of the jeep. Kraven throws his knife to the ground, he is surprised when the Amazonian Predator tosses her spear aside . Kraven launches himself full speed into the air attempting a double kick, however in the blink of an eye the world turns into a daze for Kraven as the Predator grabs his ankles, and swings him through the air then smashes him into the ground.

Kraven does not speak again, for as his vision clears the next thing he sees is the Predator's spear being plunged into his chest, her foot upon his abdomen. This would be Kraven's last hunt, his body would not be found…whole, for his head and hunting garment were to be taken by the Matriarch of the Plaines Hunters as trophies, his body would be devoured almost entirely by hyenas, as would those of the other men; what little remained found later without their heads. The jeeps would be found where they were left, and the poached goods still in the back of the second jeep.


End file.
